75 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com Senior guards Tait Horine and Owen Schafer, returning starters who were selected to participate in the SCBCA Elite Camp in October, are expected to put up a strong defensive front. Three-year veteran forward Harrison Smith and twoyear letterman forward Jackson Connelly will be relied upon to crash the boards and start the team’s fast breaks on turnovers and rebounds in the paint. Utility players Kaden Ealahan and Hayden Miller combine ball-handling skills with shooting and defense. Guard Cam Longdon is expected to see more playing time and a bigger team role. And forward Corbin Martens, a multi-sport athlete with potential to play on the collegiate level, can shoot the three and score and rebound inside, often playing “bigger than his 6’1” frame would suggest,” Craft said. All of which will be needed to continue building as a region power eying an eventual state final. “Our region continues to be very competitive and offers a tough challenge each and every night,” Craft said. “Cane Bay is the reigning region champion, and Goose Creek and Berkeley return much of their playoff squads from last season. Lucy Beckham joins our conference after two strong seasons at the 4A level. But we always feature a tough schedule here at Wando, and this year will be no different.” LUCY BECKHAM BENGALS Wait and see – it sounds both ominous and uncertain, but the Lucy Beckham Bengals first-year head boys’ basketball coach Marquise Pointer is using this approach to not only improve on the team’s last two seasons, but eventually lead them to state. “Understanding the growth and process of building a team is the first thing that has to happen to build a winner,” said Pointer, a former standout player at the College of Charleston. “Team chemistry and bonding are very important to have up front; the path to winning starts afterward.” Pointer’s approach comes after many years of playing and coaching basketball. He was a member of the Arkansas Jonesboro High School state champion team his junior year, after which his playing got him noticed and signed by the College of Charleston. In his time with CofC, Pointer gained recognition early on by being named to the 2016 Coastal Athletic Association All-Rookie Team. He helped lead the Cougars to four straight winning seasons, one CAA title in 2018-19 and a berth in the NCAA tournament that same year. After graduating as a studio art major with a focus on photography, Pointer began coaching with the Lowcountry Storm, a local club for sixth graders to age 17 who are interested in basketball. Then came May 2024 when he was tapped to coach the Bengals. Despite having another closer-to-home opportunity at hand, Pointer chose Lucy Beckham partly because many of the people there already wanted him to be the new coach. “The community and kids seemed to want me to have this new position even more than I did,” Pointer said. “Some of them knew me before with the Lowcountry Storm, and sort of lobbied for me to come here.” His arrival coincides with that of girls coach Jared Curry – and they both are determined to give the school’s home game atmosphere a complete overhaul. “I’m looking into getting a DJ to come to our games to pump up the crowd, to get choir students involved in singing the national anthem and get students in the media office involved with photos and social media videos,” he said. As for his players, Pointer said they have shown potential by posting a 17-11 mark last season. “But I want to focus them more on defense, to be more physical and spend more time getting stronger in the weight room,” Pointer said. “We’ve been known to be the smallest team against opponents and I want to change that.” And with good reason as their 5A Region 7 opponents include Summerville, Cane Bay, Goose Creek and Stratford. Seniors Micah Jamieson and Perry Taylor are expected to set the standard for both the season and future teams. “I coached Micah during club ball early on and he knows my coaching style,” Pointer said. “Both he and Perry are workhorses on the floor. Perry leads by example.” When asked about an eye to an eventual state title, Pointer said the team – and the school – is still several steps from that goal. “Once we become more defensive and eventually attain a 20-win season, then we’ll talk about reaching state,” he said. “But I am super excited about the new beginning, and ready to see where it takes us.” BISHOP ENGLAND BATTLING BISHOPS Winning a state title – the often-elusive goal of every high school basketball team and coach. Even more so for the Bishop England boys, as their last and only state title so far came in 1963 – more than six decades ago. New head coach Daniel our sports Coach Eykyn oversees a practice. New head coach Marquise Pointer surveys players at practice.
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